SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Michael Turner, a comic book artist who drew covers for major titles such as "Superman/Batman," "The Flash" and "Civil War,'" has died. He was 37.
Turner died June 27 at a Santa Monica hospital of complications related to cancer, said Vince Hernandez, editor in chief of Aspen MLT, the Santa Monica publishing company Turner founded in 2003. Turner had battled bone cancer for eight years.
Through his company, Turner created online comic adaptations for the NBC series "Heroes" and published his own titles, including the best-selling "Fathom," a deep-sea story about a female superhero.
He also drew covers for large projects such as DC Comics' "Justice League" and Marvel's "Civil War" and was a regular cover artist for "Superman/Batman" and "The Flash."
"He was definitely one of the most popular and influential comic-book artists working right now," said Andrew Farago, curator of San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum. "He was very, very much in demand as a cover artist on high-profile projects."
Ryan Liebowitz, general manager of the Golden Apple Comics store in Los Angeles, said Turner's name was synonymous with special-edition covers that often became collectibles. The milestone 500th issue of "Uncanny X-Men," due out next week, will feature a special-edition cover by Turner.
Turner was also known for drawing female comic book characters that evoked both innocence and sex appeal and exuded energy.
In 1994, the budding artist was hired by Century City-based Top Cow Productions after an editor saw his work at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego.
At Top Cow, Turner co-created "Witchblade," a comic about a voluptuous female detective who fights evil after discovering a mystical glove. The comic went on to make Top Cow's name and set the standard for Turner's future work.
My condolences go out to his family and friends, he was one of my biggest inspirations. He will be sorely missed.
The comics industry lost a luminary this weekend - Mike Wieringo passed away Sunday of a sudden heart attack. Details are still sketchy as of this time, but according to close sources, the acclaimed artist had chest pains at some point during the day and called 911, but the responders did not make it in time.
Mike Wieringo was 44 years old. He was a vegetarian, and "one of the healthiest ones of us in the bunch," as his longtime friend and collaborator Todd Dezago described him.
Rest in peace to Mike & his family, he was a great inspiration to me, drew one of my favorite versions of Spidey & Flash as well as co-crafting the excellent series Tellos. I still have Flash #80, which I believe was his first DC work and his style had me hooked since. He will be missed.
For more info you can check his blog which his brother now maintains.
Mattel Inc. issued its second major recall in less than a month today, recalling about 9.6 million toys within the U.S. that were manufactured in China due to lead paint and loose magnet hazards, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Mattel also launched a national advertising campaign today, assuring consumers it is on top of product safety amid reports of an impending second big recall of its Chinese-made toys.
The full-page ad, which appears in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today, includes a letter from Mattel Chief Executive Bob Eckert, set above three playing children.
The CPSC said the recall impacted a number of product lines including various "Polly Pocket" dolls, a "Barbie Doll and Tanner" magnet, Batman & One Piece action figure sets and a die-cast car from the Pixar movie "Cars."
Coupled with news of the death of Zhang Shuhong, the head of Lee Der Industrial Co., the company that manufactured lead-tainted Sesame Street toys at the center of a massive U.S. recall, hung himself over the weekend and the fact that recalled products have been on the market as far back as May 2003, this doesn't look good for China or US biz.
Read more on this here
Marvel Comics on Thursday issued a checklist of upcoming titles involved in the Spider-Man: Back in Black event.
Not all books will be labeled under the "Back in Black" umbrella.
MARCH
* Amazing Spider-Man #539
* Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #18
* New Avengers #28
* Sensational Spider-Man #36
APRIL
* Amazing Spider-Man #540
* Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #17 Granov 2nd Printing Variant
* Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #19
* Marvel Spotlight: Spider-Man
* New Avengers #29
* Sensational Spider-Man #35 Crain 2nd Printing Variant
* Sensational Spider-Man #37
* Spider-Man Family #1 Kirk 2nd Printing Variant
* Spider-Man Family #2
* Spider-Man: Back In Black Handbook
MAY
* Amazing Spider-Man #541
* Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America: Spider-Man
* Friendly Neighborhood
* Spider-Man #20
* Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Annual #1
* New Avengers #30
* Sensational Spider-Man Annual #1
JUNE
* Amazing Spider-Man #542
* Avengers: The Initiative #3 *
* Blade #10
* Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #21
* New Avengers #31
* Sensational Spider-Man #38
JULY
* Amazing Spider-Man #543
* Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #22
* New Avengers #32
* Sensational Spider-Man #39
The new season of Justice League Unlimited is now underway, with 2 new episodes tonight. Here's how the network describes "Chaos at the Earth's Core" (Originally titled "Heart of Stone")
Supergirl, Stargirl and Green Lantern go to Skartaris, the fantastic, hidden world at the Earth's core, to help free it from the rule of a brutal dictator.
Here's how the network describes the second episode of the night, "To Another Shore" (Originally titled "Elegy")
Wonder Woman stumbles onto a plot to steal the powers hidden inside the 3000-year-old, frozen remains of the legendary hero, the Viking Prince.
Teen Titans season 5 also begins tonight, here's how the network describes "Homecoming Part 1"
When Beast Boy's former team The Doom Patrol is in trouble, the Titans must embark on a daring mission to save them. Beast Boy explains that this can only mean one thing: the Doom Patrol's greatest foes are back. The Brotherhood of Evil has returned.
In Other News:
-Kids' WB!'s new series, Loonatics Unleashed, was the No. 1 show last Saturday to help the network win the Kids 2-11 ratings. Note the difference in character design after a heavy net protest last spring that deemed the characters "too edgy" & "scary" for younger viewers.
-Superman Returns could turn out to be the most expensive movie ever made. According to News.com: "The revisioned Superman tale, filming at Sydney's Fox Studios, could well be the most expensive film of all time ... director Bryan Singer acknowledged its budget is approaching $326 million -- that would top 'Titanic's $250 million and 'Waterworld's $225 million." (please note was calculated in Australian dollars - the exchange rate from au to us is .77 to 1.00)
-Also, check out the first & only Superman historical documentary out there, "In A Single Bound" created by filmmaker Ross Marroso. Head over to supermandoc.com to download or pre-order the DVD.
-The Fantastic Four DVD is expected to hit shelves Dec. 6, a week earlier than projected. The movie will be available in VHS, DVD and UMD & special features include:
- Cast commentary
- 3 deleted scenes
- Exclusive behind-the-scenes look with the cast
- Making of the movie
- Fox Movie Channel programs on F4 casting and filming
- Two music videos and film soundtrack ad
- First look at X-Men 3
In other Fantastic Four news, Marvel Enterprises has signed a deal with France's Antefilms Productions to produce an animated TV series based the Fantastic Four comic book characters. The deal is expected to be announced at the MIPCOM international TV sales convention in Cannes. The trade says the companies would produce 26 half-hour episodes targeted for premiere in the United States and other countries in late 2006.
-SIN CITY: RECUT & EXTENDED
Sin City: Recut & Extended is due to hit stores on December 13th. Retailing for a reported $39.99, the new cut of the film will include the original theatrical release as well as the 147 minute extended cut.
Extras include:
- commentary track with director Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
- commentary track with Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino
- commentary track featuring Austin, TX crowd reaction
- 15 Minute Film School featurette
- Movie in High-Speed Green Screen feature
- 17 un-interupted minutes of Tarantino's segment
- footage from the Sin City cast/crew party.
- 10 minute Cooking School with Robert Rodriquez.
The package will also include a copy of the first Sin City graphic novel, “The Hard Goodbye.”
press release:
Spirit of Will Eisner Lives on at Eisner Awards
The 17th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were bestowed on Friday July 15 in a gala ceremony in the ballroom at the San Diego Convention Center. The awards event was dedicated to Eisner, who died in January. His presence was felt throughout the evening, as presenter after presenter shared thoughts about the late comics giant. The ceremony was preceded by a slide show of Eisner’s career and a video with taped tributes from many creators who couldn’t attend, including Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, and Dave Sim. Will’s widow, Ann, appeared briefly on stage to welcome everyone.
The Eisner award winners were spread out among a variety of creators and titles, with only a few projects winning two trophies. The multiple winners were Kyle Baker and Plastic Man (Best Writer/Artist Humor; Best Publication for a Younger Audience), Eric Powell and The Goon (Best Humor Publication, Best Continuing Series), Brian K. Vaughan and Ex Machina (Best Writer, Best New Series), Fables (Best Serialized Story, Best Cover Artist for James Jean), and The Complete Peanuts (Best Archival Project, Best Publication Design).
Dave Gibbons’s The Originals (Vertigo) took the Best Graphic Album–New category, while Jeff Smith’s massive Bone One Volume Edition was named Best Graphic Album–Reprint. The Best Single Issue award went to Dan Clowes’ Eightball #23, following in the footsteps of the 2002 win for Eightball #22. Similarly, Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha vols. 3-4 was awarded Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material, the category won by vols. 1-2 last year.
Comic Book Artist won the Best Comics-Related Periodical for the fourth time, while the Best Comics-Related Book award went to Gerard Jones’s Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book. The first winner of the award for Best Digital Comic was Brian Fies for the autobiographical "Mom’s Cancer," and many members of his family were on hand to see him accept. Writer Sean McKeever (A Waiting Place, Mary Jane) took home the trophy for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition.
Among publishers, DC Comics and its imprints had seven (plus five shared) winners, led by Plastic Man, Ex Machina, and Fables. The Best Penciller/Inker category was a tie between two DC artists: John Cassaday (WildStorm’s Planetary, along with Astonishing X-Men for Marvel) and Frank Quitely (Vertigo’s WE3). DC creators also took home the honors for Best Painter (Teddy Kristiansen for the graphic novel It’s a Bird . . .) and portions of Best Coloring (Dave Stewart) and Best Lettering (Todd Klein—his 12th win in the category). The Best Limited Series award went to Darwyn Cooke’s popular DC: The New Frontier.
Dark Horse can claim five winners along with shares of two others. Besides Powell’s The Goon, Dark Horse winners included Best Anthology (Michael Chabon’sThe Amazing Adventures of the Escapist), Best Writer/Artist (Paul Chadwick for Concrete: The Human Dilemma), and Best Short Story (Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson’s "Unfamiliar").
The Peanuts and Eightball wins gave Fantagraphics three awards. Marvel shared in three awards (Penciller/Inker, Lettering, Coloring), but no other publisher had more than one winner.
Sergio Aragonés presented the Hall of Fame Awards. The judges’ choice awards went to the Golden Age artist Lou Fine and to the Asterix team of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The four elected inductees were Johnny Craig, Hugo Pratt, Nick Cardy, and Gene Colan. Both Cardy and Colan were present to accept their trophies. Adele Kurtzman accepted for Craig.
Besides Aragonés, Eisner presenters included Denis Kitchen, Jill Thompson, Scott McCloud, Joss Whedon, Michael Uslan, Michael Chabon, Pia Guerra, Dave Gibbons, and Jeff Smith. All made introductory comments about Will Eisner, from amusing anecdotes to heartfelt gratitude.
Among the other awards given out over the evening were the Comic-Con’s Clampett and Manning awards. The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, presented by Bob’s daughter Ruth, went to George Pérez for his donation of artwork to raise money for several charities, especially A.C.T.O.R. The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award went to Chris Bailey, writer/artist of the all-ages title Major Damage, published by Sky Dog Press.
New this year was the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. The chair of the awards jury, Jerry Robinson, presented the first Bill Finger Awards to Jerry Siegel (accepted by his widow, Joanne) and to Arnold Drake, who roused the crowd with a hilarious a caeplla song about the San Diego Comic-Con.
The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award was presented by Joe Ferrara. This year’s winner was Night Flight Comics of Salt Lake City, owned by Mimi Cruz and Alan Carroll. CBLDF board member Greg Ketter presented the Fund’s Defender of Freedom Award to Denis Kitchen, founder of the Fund, who spoke about the fact that 20 years after its inception the Fund is needed more than ever.
The major sponsor for the 2005 Eisner Awards is mycomicsshop.com. The principal sponsors are Century Guild, Diamond Comic Distributors, Gentle Giant, Isotope, and Odd Lott. Supporting sponsors include Alternate Reality Comics (Las Vegas), Atlantis Fantasyworld (Santa Cruz, CA), Comic Relief—The Comic Bookstore (Berkeley, CA), comicsunlimited.com, Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff (Concord, CA), Quebecor Printing, and Star*Reach. Ballots were tabulated by Mel Thompson and Associates.
Following is a complete list of the 2005 award winners. More information on the awards can be found at www.comic-con.org.
Winners, 2005 Eisner Awards:
Best Short Story: ""Unfamiliar," by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, in The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft (Dark Horse Books)
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Eightball #23: "The Death Ray," by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)
Best Serialized Story: Fables #19-27: "March of the Wooden Soldiers," by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha (Vertigo/DC)
Best Continuing Series:The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Best Limited Series: DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
Best New Series: Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC)
Best Publication for a Younger Audience: Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC)
Best Humor Publication: The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Best Anthology: Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, edited by Diana Schutz and David Land (Dark Horse)
Best Digital Comic: Mom's Cancer, by Brian Fies
Best Graphic Album—New: The Originals, by Dave Gibbons (Vertigo/DC)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Bone One Volume Edition, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
Best Archival Collection/Project: The Complete Peanuts, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material: Buddha, vols. 3-4 by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
Best Writer: Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man (Vertigo/DC); Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC); Runaways (Marvel)
Best Writer/Artist: Paul Chadwick, Concrete: The Human Dilemma (Dark Horse)
Best Writer/Artist—Humor: Kyle Baker, Plastic Man (DC); Kyle Baker, Cartoonist (Kyle Baker Publishing)
Best Penciller/Inker (tie): John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC); Frank Quitely, WE3 (Vertigo/DC)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Teddy Kristiansen, It’s a Bird . . . (Vertigo/DC)
Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Daredevil, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Six, Captain America (Marvel); Conan, BPRD (Dark Horse); DC: The New Frontier (DC)
Best Lettering: Todd Klein, Promethea; Tom Strong; Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales (ABC); Wonder Woman (DC); Books of Magick: Life During Wartime; Fables; WE3 (Vertigo/DC); Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse)
Best Cover Artist: James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); Green Arrow, Batgirl (DC)
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition: Sean McKeever (A Waiting Place; Mary Jane; Inhumans; Sentinels)
Best Comics-Related Periodical: Comic Book Artist, edited by Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf)
Best Comics-Related Book: Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerard Jones (Basic Books)
Best Publication Design: The Complete Peanuts, designed by Seth (Fantagraphics)
Hall of Fame: Judges’ choices: Lou Fine; René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo; Voters’ choices: Nick Cardy, Gene Colan, Johnny Craig, Hugo Pratt
Other awards presented:
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: George Pérez
Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Chris Bailey (Major Damage)
Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Writing Award: Jerry Siegel, Arnold Drake
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award: Night Flight Comics, Salt Lake City; Mimi Cruz and Alan Carroil, owners
CBLDF Defender of Liberty Award: Denis Kitchen
I just checked out the Pulse & I was saddened to see the Jim Aparo has passed away early this morning. He was 72. My condolances go out to his family & friends. My earliest memories of Mr Aparo were of the Batman stories of the early 90s, when I began reading DC books. His rendition of Batman was striking & easily regonizible and has since been cemented into my memory as one of the definitive Batman artists around. The Pulse also has a bio of his life, as does his Wikipedia entry. Also, I recommend this 90s interview he did with Jim Amash, shining more light into his long spanning career. R.I.P. Jim Aparo, you will not be forgotten.
From Spencer Beck:
The Aparo Family has asked me to send this information out to all parties. It is with the deepest regret I have to inform you of the passing of the legendary Jim Aparo early Tuesday Morning, July 19, 2005. Mr. Aparo, who was 72, died from complications relating to a recent illness. All Funeral arrangements will be a private ceremony for Family and Friends of Jim.
Aparo, born in 1932, was primarily self-trained as an artist. After years of working in commercial fashion design in Connecticut, his first break in the comics field was with a comic strip called "Stern Wheeler," written by Ralph Kanna, which was published in 1963 in a Hartford, Connecticut newspaper for less than a year. In 1966, editor Dick Giordano at Charlton Comics hired him as a comic book artist, where his first assignment was a humorous character called "Miss Bikini Luv" in "Go-Go Comics." Over the next few years at Charlton, Aparo drew stories in many genres--Westerns, science fiction, romance, horror, mystery, and suspense.
Aparo was notable for being one of the relatively few artists in mainstream comics at that time to serve as penciler, inker, and letterer for all of his work. These tasks were typically divided between two or more artists.
In the late 1960s, Aparo moved on to National Publications/DC Comics, which is where he came to fame in the Comics Community. Originally starting at DC on the Aquaman title, he then moved on to also work on the Phantom Stranger and DC's horror titles.
In 1971, Aparo worked on his first Issue of Brave & The Bold. Issue 98 featured the Phantom Stranger teaming up with Batman. Beginning with Issue 102 Jim was then the regular artist on the series and provided pencils & inks on almost every issue from 102 until the end of the series with Issue 200. Jim's work on Brave and the Bold was his favorite work of his time at DC as he truly considered the series his "baby." Also during this period Jim did one of the seminal runs on The Spectre, where his realistic style made the Ghostly character truly come to life.
After the end of Brave and the Bold, Aparo was co-creator for Batman & The Outsiders and also worked on the regular Batman and Detective Comics Series throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. most notably doing the Pencils on the "Death in The Family" storyline, which featured a phone-in vote deciding the fate of Robin II, Jason Todd.
Following a run on the regular Green Arrow Series, Aparo moved into semiretirement, contributing an occasional special or cover and doing a few private commissions before he eventually decided to move into full retirement.
He is survived by his wife Julie, his 3 children, his 4 Grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.
The Aparo family has asked that in lieu of Flowers or gifts, anyone wishing to honor Jim's legacy make a contribution to any worthy charity, as Jim believed that all charities were worth donating to.
For those wishing to send along their condolences and best wishes to the family, a P.O. Box has been set up for the family to receive cards. The address is:
THE APARO FAMILY
P.O. BOX 28
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT 06852 - 0028
Thanks to all who have loved Jim's work and have supported his career.
Spencer R. Beck
THE ARTIST'S CHOICE
http://www.theartistschoice.com
Back from vacation... now on with the news.
Family Guy:
2005 has been a big year for Fox's once cancelled show, as it came back to primetime May 1st. That episode, the first of the series' 4th season (North by North Quahog) was nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Animated Program (for Programs Less Than an Hour") . It's competition? Samurai Jack, The Simpsons, South Park, & SpongeBob SquarePants. Also, Fox has officially announced the direct-to-DVD title "Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story Unrated". The DVD will be released on September 27, will retail for $29.98 US, or $41.98 CAN.
Justice League Unlimited:
The Joining Forces DVD will be on sale September 20th and comes with 3 episodes, with a runtime of 66 minutes. Price is just $14.97 SRP.
Tonight's episode, "Divided We Fall" airs at 9pm tonight and the episode is described as follows:
When most of the Justice League is incapacitated, the League's deadliest enemies emerge to take advantage of the chaos.
July 23rd is the US airdate for "Epilogue"
Fifty years in the future, the history of the Justice League is the key to Batman's darkest secret...and his final destiny.
As for the next season, Rob at Comics Continuum has news from the San Diego Comic-Con on the newest plot details, including the Legion of Doom!
And even more Justice League news... 2006 will see a new Justice League of America video game (the first in over 10 years on a console) for Sony's Playstation 2 & Xbox 360.
In other news... the new Transformers Movie website has been up for a couple days & the movie is set to debut sometime in 2007. The new movie will be live action with a lot of CG... Marvel recently announced at the Comic-Con that they would give Microsoft exclusive rights to create a MMORPG for the Xbox 360 based on the Marvel characters.
Additionally, in August, Marvel will release a "Director's Cut" version of issue #1. Featuring no ads and some of the same extras in other "Director's Cut" editions, Daredevil: Father #1 Director's Cut will go on sale 8/3 with a price of $2.99, 51 cents lower than the original price of $3.50.
The remaining four issues of the series will also all feature cover prices of $2.99, seemingly as a reconciliatory gesture to fans and retailers who have waited since April 2004 for the completion of the limited series. Issue #2 will go on sale 8/31 and issues #3-5 will go on sale September through November.
Here are all the titles affected by the price change & exactly the issue when the change goes into effect:
These titles will arrive in stores with a cover price of $2.50 U.S.:
BATMAN #641, BATMAN #642
THE FLASH #223, THE FLASH #224
JLA #115, JLA #116
NIGHTWING #109, NIGHTWING #110
ROBIN #139, ROBIN #140
WONDER WOMAN #218, WONDER WOMAN #219
These titles will arrive in stores with a cover price of $2.75 U.S.:
100 BULLETS #62
THE BOOKS OF MAGICK: LIFE DURING WARTIME #12
FABLES #38, FABLES #39
LUCIFER #63, LUCIFER #64
What If...?
I saw this all over the web today & had to show it. Here's "the 1000 Faces of Brandon Routh!"
Thats the new Superman by the way.
DC Raises prices on six DCU Titles:
A couple days ago, many noticed that they have raised the prices on their last remaining DC Universe $2.25 titles. Beginning with their June issues, Batman, Nightwing, Robin, The Flash, JLA and Wonder Woman will arrive in stores with a new retail price of $2.50. Because they were solicited in both June and July with the previous cover price of $2.25, DC reported the affected issues will be announced as returnable at a later date.
The cover price change comes on the heels of Marvel’s elimination of their $2.25 price point on nine titles also beginning with issues on sale in June.
DC has not eliminated their $2.25 price point entirely, however. Their "Johnny DC" titles, including Justice League Unlimited, Batman Strikes and Teen Titans Go (among others) currently remain at $2.25.
Additionally, DC announced that 100 Bullets (with issue #62) and The Books of Magick: Life During Wartime, Fables, and Lucifer will have their price raised from $2.50 to $2.75, the latter three with their June on-sale issues.
Mad Magazine will arrive in stores with a cover price of $3.99 beginning with issue #454.
Gambit, Rouge Cancelled???
Gambit solo series writer John Layman confirmed that in the absence of a July solicit for Gambit, the series will end with issue #12.
Layman wrote:
"Well, I've told a few people already, and some others have figured it out since there is no Gambit #13 solicitations in the current batch of solicits, so I should probably break the news here. Gambit #12 will be the last issue of the series. It's been a fun run, and when I took it, I was only ‘guaranteed’ six issues, so I've got absolutely no reason to complain. The creative team was great to work with, in particularly the editorial staff, and X-editor Mike Marts is threatening to give me more work, so it looks like a happy ending for your humble narrator. The sales simply were not there, and if you follow the month-to-month tracking of sales on Pulse, Gambit's cancellation should come as no surprise. That being said, the last three issues are written, and I'm hoping those of you who support the book don't disappear in droves. Next issue, with Gambit breaking into the X-Mansion to steal his sex tape before Rogue finds it, is, I think, my favorite issue so far. And if you have been supporting the book, you have my thanks."
Maybe we can assume the same thing about Rogue's solo comic as well, as there is no July solicit for that title either.
I happened to check out Peter David's blog earlier when I saw this intresting tidbit:
When "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man," the new Spidey series coming from Marvel late this summer, hits the stands, it will be launching with a different creative team than previously announced: Mike Wieringo as artist, and yours truly as writer.
I'm really excited about this, since it's been years since I've written on ongoing Spidey title and fans have been asking when, or if, I'll ever have the opportunity again. I'm pleased to be working with Ringo, whose art I've very much enjoyed, and am grateful to editor Tom Brevoort for offering me the assignment (and Joe Q, naturally, for giving the final OK). Spidey was my very first comic work for Marvel, and it's great to be back.
PAD
First the Hulk, now Spidey? I can't wait to see his return to the web-slinger, only 4 months to go...
UPDATE:
Here's what Mike Wieringo had to say on his blog:
The last few days have been a real thrill-- watching the comments pile up and realizing how many folks were pouring in to weigh in with their opinions. And checking my daily stats software, the individual visits have just SKYROCKETED over this whole thing. I hope people will continue to stop by and check out the blog offerings, even after all the 'radioactivity' over this subject has died down. This blog has become a lot of fun for me, and very special to me as well-- and I enjoy the idea of sharing it with as many folks as possible. From a PERSONAL standpoint-- as far as my depiction of Spider-Man goes-- I'm just going to let it happen organically. I'm going to let flow from my pencil what will, and I think that'll be the best way to handle it. I'm not going to force anything one way or another. I'll be the most satisfied by NOT forcing it. Watching everything unfold the last few days has really shown me the power that SPIDER-MAN still holds in the hearts of his fans. I think that all the recent discussion ends up underlining that it's not the artist, or the style that artist uses-- it's the power of the CHARACTER. SPIDER-MAN is just as much an icon now as he ever was-- and maybe more so.
As you've no doubt heard by now, Peter David will be the writer of the new SPIDER-MAN comic-- and the book also has a name: FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN. I think the name is a great one, implying lots of fun, and I'm sure Peter's stories will embody that spirit. The guys at WIZARD magazine were interested in using the sketch art for Peter I did several posts back for a piece about the book in an upcoming issue, but I really didn't like that initial take-- so I did something else that would (at least in MY eyes) look better. It's got a similar element in it with Peter jumping and changing into his SM suit-- but I also added a little color to the sketch to jazz it up.
Marvel Comics has announced a 50/50 variant cover for Fantastic Four #527, the first issue by the new creative team of J. Michael Straczynski and Mike McKone.
The issue stars the "Distant Music" arc in which a conflicted Reed is presented an intriguing offer.
Fantastic Four #527 is scheduled to be in stores on May 25. In addition, Marvel is preparing a Director's Cut version of the issue, scheduled for release on June 22, the same day as Fantastic Four #528. The issue will include the contents of the regular edition of #527, as well as a script, interviews and sketch art. It will cost $3.99.
Marvel Comics has released the cover to the first issue of the eight-issue House of M series by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel. The cover is by Esad Ribic. House of M starts in June.
click here for a bigger image.
Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked
"Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked" will debut on The History Channel on Monday, June 23 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).
The special is hosted by Shane West, star of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie.
Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked was granted unprecedented access to comic books published by DC and Marvel Comics from the late 1930's to the present. Featured are interviews with many of the most influential comic book writers and artists of the past 50 years, including Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Denny O'Neil, Michael Chabon, Jim Steranko, Kevin Smith, Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman and Joe Quesada.
According to The History Channel, the program was designed to bring visual depth, energy and movement to classic comic book images while still preserving the integrity of the artwork." If you can't wait, buy the DVD here.
Ultimate Super Heroes, Ultimate Super Villains, Ultimate Super Vixens
Bravo will air a three-part special, Ultimate Super Heroes, Ultimate Super Villains, Ultimate Super Vixens, on three consecutive nights starting May 26 at 10 p.m. ET. Narrated by Adam West, who played Batman in the hit TV series, Ultimate Super Heroes celebrates the heroes, villains and vixens who have created powerful impressions on fans throughout the years.
The special features more than 50 experts, including comic-book creators, filmmakers and producers and actors who brought these characters to life, as well as a top-20 countdown in each category. Lou Ferrigno will discuss The Hulk's relatable human side, and Mark Hamill will talk about his total commitment to creating the fantasy that surrounded Star Wars.
Ultimate Super Heroes will look at characters from comic books, movies, television and video games, based on their longevity, iconic pop-culture status and their overall "cool factor," Bravo said.
Marvel Comics released news today of a new series of six Dollar Digests. The digests will be 64 pages of black and white digests. The books will retail for $1.00 and may contain "abridged to fit format" stories of three classic Marvel Comics.
The first six digests will include Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the Hulk, and the X-Men. The digests are:
SPIDER-MAN: AMAZING FANTASY DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects AMAZING FANTASY #15, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1, #2
FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST FAMILY DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects FANTASTIC FOUR #1-#3
AVENGERS: ASSEMBLE DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects AVENGERS #1-#3
SPIDER-MAN: DOCTOR OCTOPUS DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #3,#4,#5
HULK: HULK SMASH DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects HULK #1-#3
X-MEN: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM
Collects X-MEN #1-#3
These books will be on sale June 8th. The format will be digest size measuring 4 7/8 x 6 9/16.
From Newsarama-
While its assets were sold to a Disney subsidiary in October, CrossGen’s bankruptcy proceedings continue to lumber along, with the Tampa-based former comic publisher finally filling and seeking approval for its plan of reorganization. CrossGen filed the disclosure (the meat of the reorganization plan) on February 15th, supplemented it on April 1st, and saw it approved by the Florida Bankruptcy Court, Middle District, on April 4th.
Overall, the plan lists assets currently at $972,233, resulting fro the sale of its properties to Cal Publishing/Disney in October, and total liabilities of $10,798,888. As with other bankruptcies, there will not be enough capital to cover all claims, however, the plan filed, as stated by the debtors, allows for a greater recovery of claims than is likely to be achieved through other plans or liquidation – namely, Chapter 7.
The Joint Disclosure Statement, filed to give holders of claims adequate information to make an informed judgment about the plan, lays out a financial history of CrossGen in greater detail than has been seen to date.
Running through the history, then – CrossGen was formed in May of 1999, with an initial investment by Mark Alessi of $4,000,000. This start-up was supplemented in January of 2001 when Safe Harbor Managed Account 101A invested $4.5 million in exchange for 20% of CrossGen’s stock. Alessi continued to loan CrossGen money prior to the filing of bankruptcy in June of 2004, topping his investment off at $11 million, in total.
In January of 2003, Blue Ridge Investors II, LLP (CG’s primary pre-filing secured lender) loaned the company $1,025,000. While the loan was against collateral including accounts receiveable, inventory, and other assets of CrossGen, by the time the companyu filed for bankruptcy protection, it owed Blue Ridge $1,086,261. A portion of that has been paid off, and Blue Ridge is currently owed $700,000. CrossGen has since sued Blue Ridge, alleging that the investors “failed to perfect its security interest in CrossGen’s registered copyrights and any proceeds from the sale of CrossGen’s intellectual property and seeks to avoid Blue Ridge’s security interest accordingly.”
In January of 2004, Dee Gee Entertainment lent CrossGen $300,000 against collateral including the properties Ruse, Route 666, and Sojourn. When CrossGen filed in June of 2004, it owed Dee Gee $318,000. As with Blue Ridge, CrossGen has sued Dee Gee, alleging that the investors failed to perfect its security interest in CrossGen’s registered copyrights, and seeks to avoid Dee Gee’s security interest accordingly.
Blue Ridge and Dee Gee make up CrossGen’s largest secured creditors, while Alessi, trade creditors, American Express, ADP, and the IRS (for payroll taxes) make up the former publisher’s largest unsecured creditors. According to the disclosure, prior to filing in June of 2004, the total outstanding unsecured debt totaled $13,250,000.
The disclosure goes on to explain what happened, with the economy circa 2003 taking the brunt of the blame. The statement says that by the end of 2002, CrossGen held an approximate market share of 6%, and was the third largest publisher in the United States [the factual reality behind this statement appears, at the surface, suspect, as Diamond’s market share numbers for 2002 showed CrossGen to hold 3.21% share of the market in both dollars and units, and ranked at the 5th largest publisher, behind Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse]. The disclosure also states that aggressive expansion by Marvel and DC exerted pressure on CrossGen and other smaller publishers, reducing their market shares. As CrossGen began to suffer (though cost-cutting moves were enacted), it found fewer and fewer larger entertainment companies wanted to partner with it.
The damage began to show, according to the disclosure, in the second quarter of 2003, when the company did not have adequate liquidity to pay trade vendors. At the same time, Blue Ridge, as a condition of its loan to the company, “swept” CrossGen’s bank accounts, resulting in returned checks, bank fees, and other financial problems. CrossGen’s weakening financial conditions resulted in vendors limiting the amount of credit extended, or time period for credit repayment, and to only continue business dealings with the Tampa company on a cash-only basis.
Through 2003, CrossGen sought investors, and, according to the disclosure, nearly had financing secured on several occasions, but in each instance, the deal fell through.
The financial history of the company ends with the sale of CrossGen’s assets to Cal Publishing (a Disney subsidiary) for $1,000,000. Blue Ridge and Dee Gee have agreed to have their calims attached to the proceeds of the sale.
In summary, CrossGen’s plan for payment of its creditors is the “pot” plan, that is, all monies from the sale of assets ($972,233 from Cal Publishing) and any other monies will be placed into a single account from which amounts owed to secured creditors and administrative expenses will be drawn first, and then unsecured creditors will be paid.
Holders of secured claims (totaling $1,492, 064.33) are:
Tom Alessi: $1,172,000
Oldsmar Self-Storage: $1,307
CitiCaptial Commercial Corporation: $17,981.44
Pinellas County Tax Collector: $775.89
The debtor will recommend that the Liquidating Trustee file objections to all of the claims, as, CrossGen contends, the claims have never been secure, or are no longer secure due to the surrender of collateral. In regards to the secured claim of Dee Gee, CrossGen and Dee Gee have agreed to divide the claim into a secured claim of $161,425.55 and an unsecured claim of the same amount. If CrossGen is successful in court against Blue Ridge, the investors’ claim will be reclassified as unsecured.
Currently, the Administrative Expense Claims stand at $263,000, and is expected to increase until the final payout date arrives.
The amount owed in Priority Claims stands at $641,378.96 – this is the amount owed to the IRS and former employees and consultants who filed as such. The disclosure states that CrossGen will object to claims which are not entitled to Priority status, including those filed by the IRS and Florida Department of Revenue.
After the above are paid, unsecured creditors (including the bulk of former employees) will be paid. CrossGen roughly estimates that over $9 million is owed in this category, and lays out the plan for repayment, though it is, generally speaking, just mechanics, as the total amount that will be actually paid out will more than likely be completely exhausted far before reaching the unsecured creditors category, as was seen in the Chaos! Comics bankruptcy.
Final proofs of claim by creditors must be filed by May 6th, 2005. By the same date, those who accept or object to the plan, as filed must notify the court. A hearing on the confirmation of the plan is scheduled for May 16th.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Elektra movie sold about 1 million combined DVD and VHS units Tuesday, its first day in release on home video.
Fox has announced its will rebroadcast the first Spider-Man and X-Men films as part of its spring Friday night movie schedule. Spider-Man, which debuted on the network last Thanksgiving, will air on Friday, April 29 at 8PM EST & X-Men will air on Friday, May 13 at 8PM EST.
In other news:
Iron Man, the third direct-to-DVD animated Marvel film will be coming out down the horizon. HBO/Cinemax will be airing Spider-Man 2 this summer. Can't wait for that! For more movie previews and new check out the Comics Universe Blog.
Mad! Fan has the new Darkstalkers #4 cover, as does the Joe Madureira! Fansite.
Brenda Starr Creator Passes On-
Dale Messick, whose long-running comic strip "Brenda Starr, Reporter" gave her entry into the male world of the funny pages, has died at age 98. She died after a long decline that began with a stroke in 1998, her daughter, Starr Rohrman, told The Associated Press.
Messick, whose strip debuted June 30, 1940 & ran in 250 newspapers at its peak in the 1950s, died Tuesday, said her daughter, Starr Rohrman, who had been caring for her mother in Sonoma County. Ms. Messick was born on April 11, 1906; Brenda Starr was born in June 1940. An impossibly glamorous redhead, her appearance was inspired by Rita Hayworth, her first name came from the most famous debutante of the day, Brenda Frazier, and her last name was chosen because she was the star reporter on her newspaper, The Flash.
She jettisoned her given name Dalia to further her career -- once said Brenda had "everything I didn't have." But she charmed acquaintances with spunk and style worthy of her redheaded creation. Ms. Messick retired from drawing the strip in the mid-1980's, and it was passed on to other artists, all women. She said she did not like the way later versions of Brenda Starr looked. In the 1990's, she developed a new comic character called "Granny Glamour," who appeared in a single-panel cartoon in a local senior citizens' publication (Oakmont Gardens Magazine) in California. It ended after she had a stroke in 1998 and couldn't draw any more. In 1995, Brenda Starr was one of twenty comic strips honored by a series of United States postage stamps; Messick was the only living creator. In 1997, Messick received the National Cartoonist Society's Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award. The strip is now written by Mary Schmich and drawn by June Brigman.
For more info check out CNN.com.
Superman Returns:
A rumor from Superhero Hype about the spaceship: The crash site isn't from Clark's child-hood, but in fact from his return to Earth at the beginning of the film. Also, Sir Richard Branson will make a cameo in the film, according to News.com.au. Ain't-It-Cool-News has pics of the Daily Planet delivery truck & more. I can't forget, look here (Spoilers abound) for more pics from the set.
As always, keep a lookout for updates on Bryan Singer's blog as more news comes in.
X-men 3 News:
It was already announced that X-Men 3 would be directed by Matthew Vaughn. Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry and Ian McKellan are all set for "X-Men 3" as well. Famke Janssen, as heavily rumored before, will become Dark Phoenix. No official word yet on James Marsden - who will be busy for a big chunk of the year on "Superman" - reprising his role as Cyclops, though it's understood he will be back.
Superhero Hype also reported that Sir Ian McKellan has confirmed he'll be Magneto if another sequel is made. Even though he imagines the writers will base a possible Magneto spinoff on a younger Magneto in the past, McKellan had this to say:
"If my character is in it and if he's my age. They might bring Magneto back but it may be the young Magneto. Who knows?"
X-Men 3 is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2006.
Sin City:
Dimension Films' Sin City, directed by Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller and Quentin Tarantino, dropped 51.5% in ticket sales for the graphic novel adaptation's second weekend, making $14.1 million for a total of $50.7 million and second place. The movie cost just $40 million to make.
As I've reported last month, Maxim will feature a special edition cover by none other than Frank Miller as a tribute to the Sin City movie.It will be out April 12 (May) edition and will only ship at a 20% of the press run while Sin City star Brittany Murphy will be on the cover of the other 80% of issue. You can read what Superhero Hype says here.
Check here for an update on what could ultimately become The Sub-Mariner & Silver Surfer movies.